How to Reverse Enrollment Declines at Community Colleges

Enrollment at for-profit colleges has increased or remained flat, while enrollment at community colleges is down nearly 10 percent since the onset of the pandemic. EAB’s Christina Hubbard and Larisa Hussak share key takeaways from a recent “secret shopping” experience with for-profit institutions and explain their applicability to community colleges. They talk about the dos and don’ts of onboarding, a perennial pain point at two-year schools, and urge community college leaders to assume greater responsibility for guiding students through the application process, registration, and beyond as a way of boosting yield and building student engagement. Christina and Larisa also stress the importance of adapting to meet growing student demand for greater flexibility in everything from course modalities to term lengths.